New Montreal mayor has public tiff with Habs

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre approaches to lay a wreath during Remembrance Day ceremonies Monday, November 11, 2013 in Montreal. It's only taken a week for Montreal's newly elected mayor to have a run-in with the local NHL team.Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

2013-11-11 13:28:00

MONTREAL - Montreal's newly elected mayor, who has a proven knack for getting in the news, has already had his first public spat with the local hockey team.

Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens.

During last night's game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please..."

It was a rather run-of-the-mill remark for a regular hockey fan. Countless numbers of them tweet running commentary on Habs games and many have criticized the play of the struggling forward.

But this one drew a little more attention, coming from the mayor.

The team was pushing back at Coderre on Monday.

Max Pacioretty, a longtime linemate of Desharnais, was particularly fuming and when asked about the remark he unloaded on the mayor.

"To bring down a player—such a great person, such a great player, such a hard worker ... Davey's a true competitor and he's a great player and a great teammate, and that's just so uncalled for... It's only going to make matters worse."

And coach Michel Therrien may quietly agree with Coderre's assessment of Desharnais' play, given that he's been handing him less icetime lately.

But he doesn't welcome the remark.

"I really believe this is inappropriate from our mayor," said Therrien, weighing his words carefully.

Coderre's outspokenness and penchant for grabbing the spotlight is a distant cry from the city's last elected mayor—the understated, Harvard-educated Gerald Tremblay, who was eventually felled by a controversy over corruption at city hall.

The first week alone has demonstrated that in abundance.

Since Coderre won the election, he has already had a run-in with the Parti Quebecois provincial government over its religion charter; with the powerful mayor of Quebec City over a perceived slight to him; and now with the Montreal Canadiens.

He also encouraged embattled Toronto mayor Rob Ford last week to switch to "Diet Coke."